On-board emergency remote assistance and data retrievable system for an aerial vehicle

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to an on-board emergency remote assistance and data retrievable system configured to download and retrieve image, audio and video information from the inside and outside of a manned aerial vehicle (MAV) using an on-board unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), while the MAV is either in the air or crashed. The UAV system comprising at least one drone in coordination with a remote station to automatically locate a distressed MAV while in operation, to track it and provide assistance when possible, wherein the drone being integrated into the MAV. The system of the present invention conclusively prevents the lost or disappearance, and crash of the manned aerial vehicle without a trace.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of a previous U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 15/829,872 filed by the same inventor on Dec. 1,2017, which claims priority under 35 USC Section 119(e) to U.S.Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/429,790 filed on Dec. 3,2016, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in theirentireties.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an on-board emergency system for avehicle, and more particularly it relates to an on-board emergencyremote assistance and data retrievable system that downloads andretrieves image, audio and video information of the MAV using anon-board unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) while the MAV is either in theair or crashed.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Distressing conditions on-board any type of vehicle, particularly apassenger vehicle, such as a manned aerial vehicle, ship, boat, train,bus, vehicle trailer, or the like, can create confusion and chaos whenit occurs. Take the case of an air vehicle like an aircraft, forexample, where the pilot may have a few minutes to evaluate and remedy arapidly degenerating situation onboard. In most cases, power andcommunication may even fail before the pilot can describe the problem infull details to the air traffic control. Then all a sudden, the aircraftdisappears from the radar, leaving everybody on the ground guessing. Thenext thing you know is that the plane is reported missing, and most ofthem have never been found.

For instance, take the case of Kobe Bryant, the famous basketball starwho died during a helicopter crash. The pilot who crashed the helicoptercarrying Kobe Bryant, killing all nine aboard, made a series of poordecisions that led him to fly blindly into a wall of clouds where hebecame so disoriented that he thought he was climbing when the craft wasplunging toward a Southern California hillside, as per reported byfederal safety officials. The National Transportation Safety Boardprimarily blamed pilot Ara Zobayan in the Jan. 26, 2020 crash thatkilled him along with Bryant, the basketball star's daughter and sixother passengers heading to a girls' basketball tournament.

As a flight instructor described it “If you're flying visually, if youget caught in a situation where you can't see out the windshield, thelife expectancy of the pilot and the aircraft is maybe 10, 15 seconds,and it happens all the time, and it's really a shame”. Yes, indeed.

According to expect, the same thing happened to John F. Kennedy Jr. whenhis plane dropped out of the sky near Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts,in 1999. These tragedies aren't the first, and by no mean won't be thelast.

However, if the present technology or invention (filed December, 2017)was available at the time of Kobe Bryant's accident (January, 2020), thepilot could have deployed such a tool with no hesitation, the moment hefelt being disoriented or even prior considering climbing above thecloud, a well-known risky operation in the field according to aviationexperts. On the other hand, as in the case of Artificial Intelligence(AI) or machine learning, the UAV could even go further by detecting theflying environment of the helicopter from the start while suggesting theauto pilot system, an option that might not come to pilot's mind sincehe was operating under pressure. In this situation, the Unmanned AerialVehicle (UAV) could also be self-deployed if the pilot failed to do sowhile approaching dangers such as getting too close to hills. The threemain elements that pre-occupied this invention is the man-pilot(experience and state-of-mind), the machine (performance andcapability), and the environment (day, night, traffic, clouds, hills orobstacles), while weather is just a small portion of it.

Considering the shortfalls that resulted into above described incidents,particularly with respect to preventing an aircraft from getting lostdespite all the radars and satellites available out there, and to assistin detecting the flying environment, there is a need in the industry fora system that conclusively prevents the lost or disappearance, and crashof the manned aerial vehicle without a trace. In other words, there is aneed for a system that ensures the family of those affected, despitesuch a tragedy, there is a chance that efforts will be made to quicklyfind their loved ones, regardless of the outcome.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an on-board emergency remote assistanceand data retrievable system which addresses the needs which were notfulfilled by the conventional arts. The on-board emergency remoteassistance and data retrievable system of the present inventionconfigured to download and retrieve image, audio and video informationfrom the inside and outside of a manned aerial vehicle (MAV) using anon-board unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) while the MAV is either in theair or crashed.

The present invention discloses a UAV system comprising at least onedrone, in coordination with a remote station, to automatically locate adistressed MAV while in operation, to track it and provide assistancewhen possible, wherein the drone being integrated into the MAV.

One primary object of the present invention is to provide an on-boardemergency remote assistance and data retrievable system for the MAV.

Another primary object of the invention is to be an instrument betweenthe man, the machine, and the environment.

Another primary object of the present invention is to provide anon-board emergency remote assistance and data retrievable system for theMAV that support Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learningintegrations.

Another primary object of the present invention is to provide anon-board emergency remote assistance and data retrievable systemconfigured to access and retrieves flight data of the MAV.

Another primary object of the present invention is to provide anon-board emergency remote assistance and data retrievable systemconfigured to access and retrieves a Cockpit Voice Recording (CVR)transcript of the MAV.

Another primary object of the present invention is to provide anon-board emergency remote assistance and data retrievable systemconfigured to access and retrieve mechanical and electrical flightperformance of the MAV.

Another primary object of the present invention is to provide anon-board emergency remote assistance and data retrievable systemconfigured to access and retrieve audios, videos and images of the MAV,when available.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an on-boardemergency response system that is mobile and independently operated.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an on-boardemergency response system that provides remedies to the MAV in distresswhile in the air, when possible, including taking full control orcommand of the MAV using Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Another object of the present invention is to provide an on-boardemergency response system configured to detect weapons, firearms, or anyother prohibited objects on board MAV.

Still, another object of the present invention is to provide an on-boardemergency response system that can be activated either by an onboardoperator or from a remote location.

Also, another object of the present invention is to provide an on-boardemergency response system that can transmit accurate location of the MAVwhich can be hard to locate through conventional means like radars.

Again, another object of the present invention is to provide an on-boardemergency response system that can detect a possible danger onboard theMAV, then detach itself from said MAV to avoid being damaged, and sendemergency information to a communication network when necessary.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an on-boardemergency response system configured to reattach the UAV with the MAV ifthe emergency situation is resolved.

Furthermore, another object of the present invention is to provide anon-board emergency response system to pinpoint where the troubled MAV islocated, and have the information sent remotely to the search and rescuecenter.

Also, another object of the present invention is to provide an on-boardemergency response system that is part of a ground communication networkand capable of sending and/or receiving information to and from thenetwork.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an on-boardemergency response system which can track the MAV from above whiledocumenting the event using live videos and images.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an on-boardemergency response system which renders a command center the means ofcommunicating remotely with the MAV when the latter disappeared from asurveillance system like radar, while several attempts have been made tocontact or re-establish contact with the MAV have failed.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an on-boardemergency response system with means to help rescue a distressed MAV dueto a pilot error. The UAV can then perform a quick diagnostic of the MAVwhile roving above it to determine the cause of the problem, dependingof the situation. If pilot errors are detected and successfullycorrected remotely, the remote command center can re-establish propercommand of the MAV, either remotely or through the pilots, whilepreparing for an emergency landing and redirect the UAV to reattachitself with the MAV for an emergency landing. While the problem can beresolved remotely, the MAV must be landed at the closest airport sofurther diagnostics can be performed.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an on-boardemergency response system which provides a vehicle operator one lastchance, a second chance by using an onboard mean to re-establishcommunication with a command center while unable to do so in aconventional way because of current technical problems or otherdifficulties.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an on-boardemergency response system which provides a means to document a tragedythat could not be avoided, due to the complexity of the situation, andsent remotely to the command center. Such evidence may include, but notlimited to, entire flight's mechanical, voice data recordings, photosand video images from the inside as well as from the outside of the MAV,and photos and video images of where the MAV landed, crashed, or rested.

Another essential object of the present invention is to provide anon-board emergency response system which allows instant access tocrucial plane's flight information, even before a crash, instead ofsearching the bottom of the ocean (sometimes in vain) after the fact.This industry could have been improved even further if we knew the maincauses of all the planes' fatalities.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an on-boardemergency response system that can automatically locate a crash site, ifany, even in the middle of the night.

Again, another object of the present invention is to provide a means, inthe event of a disaster, that allows the search and rescue team to getto the crash site sooner for possible life saving intervention, insteadof searching for months or even years sometimes, with no result.

Further objects of the present invention will be brought out in thefollowing part of the specification, wherein detailed description is forfully disclosing the invention without placing limitations thereon.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawings constitute a part of this specification and includeexemplary embodiment to the invention, which may be embodied in variousforms. It is to be understood that in some instances various aspects ofthe invention may be shown exaggerated or enlarged to facilitate anunderstanding of the invention.

With the above and other related objects in view, the invention consistsin the details of construction and combination of parts as will be morefully understood from the following description, when read inconjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a drone activation control system from a MAVaccording to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates a 3D view of a drone.

FIG. 3 illustrates a MAV with drone housing.

FIG. 4 illustrates a MAV with an open drone housing showing the droneitself.

FIG. 5 illustrates a MAV showing a drone being ejected from the MAV.

FIG. 5A illustrates a MAV with a drone being ejected from the lower backof the MAV, all the way to the top of MAV.

FIG. 6 illustrates multiple positions where a drone can be automaticallyejected from the MAV.

FIG. 7 illustrates a 3-way communication between a MAV, a drone, and acommand center.

FIG. 7A illustrates a 3-way communication between a MAV, a drone, and acommand center, having remote access of a video images inside the MAVfrom the ground command center showing a hijacking in progress.

FIG. 7B illustrates a 3-way communication between a MAV, a drone, and acommand center, having remote access of the Cockpit Voice Recording(CVR) transcript.

FIG. 8 illustrates a view of a cockpit of a MAV.

FIG. 9 illustrates a view of a passenger's area of a MAV.

FIG. 10 illustrates a drone roving over a MAV crashed on water.

FIG. 11 illustrates a drone roving over a MAV crashed on land.

FIG. 12 illustrates a drone providing lightning over a water crash siteat nighttime.

FIG. 13 illustrates a drone providing lightning over a land crash siteat nighttime.

FIG. 14 illustrates a view showing images sent from the drone to thecontrol command center with radar indicating the exact location of thecrash.

FIG. 15 illustrates a view of the drone's solar power capability.

FIG. 15A illustrates view detailing the drone's thin solar cells.

FIG. 16 illustrates a view of the drone landing on water because of lackof power.

FIG. 17 illustrates a view of the drone landing on land because of lackof power.

FIG. 18 illustrates a view where the water's search and rescue teamarrive at the scene.

FIG. 19 illustrates a view where a reconnaissance airplane from theland's search rescue team arrives at the scene.

FIG. 20 shows a crashed MAV being retrieved from the water by a heavylifting helicopter.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention now will be described more fully hereinafter withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not allembodiments of the invention are shown. Indeed, these inventions may beembodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limitedto the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments areprovided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legalrequirements. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout.

Before explaining the present invention in detail, it is to beunderstood that the invention is not limited in its application to thedetails of the construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in theaccompanying drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments, asdepicted in different figures as described above and of being practicedor carried out in a variety of ways. It is to be understood that thephraseology and terminology employed herein is for the purpose ofdescription and not of limitation.

It is to be also understood that the term “comprises” and grammaticalequivalents thereof are used herein to mean that other components,ingredients, steps, etc. are optionally present. For example, an article“comprising” (or “which comprises”) components A, B, and C can consistof (i.e., contain only) components A, B, and C, or can contain not onlycomponents A, B, and C but also contain one or more other components.

It is to be understood that the term “MAV” hereinafter refers to amanned aerial vehicle which includes, but not limited to an airplane, anaero plane, an aircraft, a helicopter, a chopper, and a copter thereof.

It is to be understood that the term “UAV” hereinafter refers to anunmanned aerial vehicle which includes, but not limited to a dronethereof.

It is to be understood that the terms “a pilot”, “an on-board operator”,and “a vehicle operator”, are interchangeable.

An on-board emergency system of the present invention applies to anytype of vehicle comprising, but not limited to a manned aerial vehicle,a boat, a ship, a train, a tractor trailer, a bus or the like. Theembodiments described below, however, are directed toward specificembodiments of the system to help locate and assist a distressedairplane. However, the methods and systems of the present inventionapply equally to any other type of vehicle.

The present invention will now be described by referencing the appendedfigures representing preferred embodiments. The embodiment of a system10 for assisting and locate a distressed MAV includes at least oneengagement element 12 and at least one processing element 14, as shownin the embodiments of FIG. 1. An engagement element 12 can be any typeof element that initiates the launch of the location system of an UAV,such as a drone. For example, an engagement element 12 can transmit asignal to the processing element 14 directing engagement of launchingthe drone. As such, the engagement element can be, but is not limitedto, a button, switch, lever, or the like, or any other device capable oftransmitting a command to the processing element 14, such as a keyboard,a voice signal receiver, a touch screen, or a selection device such as amouse in conjunction with a display. For instance, the location controlsystem 10 can be activated automatically, as represented by box 16 ofFIGS. 1. In one embodiment, the engagement element 12 can be a sensor orthe like that automatically transmits an engagement signal to theprocessing element 14 upon sensing a particular event. One such eventcan be the case where the MAV or aircraft is in an awkward or abnormalposition during the flight as shown in FIG. 6. Such sensors can also belocated anywhere in the MAV 40 where a type of threat to the security ofthe MAV or its passengers or other contents can be sensed. For instance,in an aircraft, an engagement sensor can be located proximate to thedoor of the cockpit, and the sensor can be programmed to transmit anengagement signal to the processing element when there is an attempt tocockpit door tampering or breach i.e. forcibly open the door, repeatedpoundings on the door, and or when an aircraft is in an upside-downposition or vice versa. In the case of a cockpit door, the sensor(s) canhave a minimum force threshold, such that force applied to the door mustexceed the threshold before the automatic drone launch system can beautomatically activated. Therefore, at least most inadvertentapplications of force on the door by people or objects will not causethe system to automatically engage. In addition to or instead of theautomatic engagement element(s) 16, the system 10 can include manualengagement element(s) 18, such as buttons, switches or the like, thatauthorized personnel, such as the pilots of an aircraft can actuate if athreat is detected. Thus, one or more manual and/or automatic engagementelements can be located onboard MAV 40, such as within and/or proximatethe cockpit of an aircraft as represented by boxes 16 and 18 of FIGS. 1.

Furthermore, one or more locations outside MAV 40, i.e., one or moreremote international locations from the Coast Guard, the Air Force, orthe Navy, on a global scale, but in communication with MAV 40, as shownin FIG. 7, can include an engagement element, such that if a signal orother communication is received at the remote location that indicates adistress situation, or the security of MAV 40 can be in jeopardy, theengagement element can activate or launch drone 14, as shown in FIG. 5,from the remote location, as represented by box 20 of FIG. 1 so as tohelp in correcting any errors if possible, or in determining the gravityof the situation onboard MAV 40.

Referring further to FIG. 5A, where the pilot of MAV 40 havingdifficulty flying within clouds 41 is shown. Instead of climbing overclouds 41 which is riskier, the pilot ejects drone 14 from lower back ofthe MAV 40 all the way over the MAV 40 and the clouds 41 while beingassisted by said drone 14 throughout the route. The pilot ejects thedrone 14 by actuating manual engagement element 18.

A personnel and/or an equipment at the remote location can monitor theaircraft and can be capable of detecting certain events using onboardWi-Fi security cameras as represented by box 28, 30, and 32 of FIG. 1,and also depicted in FIGS. 8, and 9. If the processing element (drone)14 is activated because of the MAV malfunctions such as engine failure,fire, smoke, and a catastrophe is therefore imminent, then the drone 14should be automatically ejected from the MAV and be able to track theMAV 40 all the way to the end, using a predetermined distance above theMAV 40 as shown in FIG. 5. Also, drone 14 automatically launches in theevent the MAV 40 becomes undetectable on a tracking or radar at the airtraffic control center during flight.

Referring to FIGS. 7A & 7B, which shows 3-way communication between theMAV 40, the drone 14, and a remote command center 60. During hijacking63 or any other similar scenario, a weapon or a firearm can be involved.The drone 14 detects such weapons and can be automatically self-launchedin the event, when any of such weapons is fired onboard MAV 40. Also,after launching, the drone 14 can access and retrieve the flight data ofthe MAV 40 inside-out. The flight data includes audios, videos, images,etc. of the MAV 40 inside-out. The drone 14 then communicates thedetected and retrieved flight data with the command center 60 on theground, and the command center 60 sends respective command to the drone14 based on the situation. In this way, the command center 60 has remoteaccess of the audios, videos and the images inside-out the MAV 40 bybeing on the ground. Moreover, with the help of Artificial Intelligence(AI), the drone 14 can also be able to detect if the weapon has beencarried undetected onboard MAV 40, even before the flight took off.

Furthermore, while the drone 40 is in the air, the personnel at theremote location can also access any data related to the flight,including mechanical and electrical flight performance, and cockpitvoice recording transcript as shown in FIG. 7B. Currently, suchinformation is available through a BLACK BOX only whenever such deviceis available. This information however can be permanently lost if theBLACK BOX can never be found. After the drone 40 is launched from MAV40, the videos and the images showing a glimpse of the condition of MAV40 from the inside-out, including the cockpit, can be sent through thedrone 14 to the special unit team on the ground as shown in FIGS. 8 and9. The drone 14 is automatically or manually ejected, then roved overthe flying or distressed MAV 40, while at the same time preserving theimportant flight data if a crash does occur. The flight data can beaccessed and retrieved remotely from the remote command center 60; themoment said event is unfolding, and the drone 14 still roving above andtracking distressed MAV 40, getting a head up of what caused the breakdown with no waiting.

Since the drone 14 is designed to follow MAV 40 wherever it goes oncelaunched, it might end up floating wherever MAV 40 can be landing, abovewater or land. If above the water, drone 14 is also equipped with watersensor that would prevent it from chasing MAV 40 deep under the ocean.Instead, it will keep tracking MAV 40 from above at a predetermineddistance from the water, as shown in FIG. 10, as the current continuesto drag the MAV 40 deeper. If depth limit of sensor is reached and thesearch team is still not at the scene, drone 40 would stay still, wherethe depth limit was reached. If crash site is on land, drone 14 isequipped with heat and smoke sensors to keep itself far above the crashsite as depicted in FIG. 11.

Also, drone 14 has the capability to provide light to the crash sitesfrom above, either on water or on land, using its onboard powerfulflashlight, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13.

The Wi-Fi cameras of drone 14, as depicted in box 30 of FIG. 1, withnight vision capability when needed, can transmit live video images toremote location 20 any time of the day, giving a glimpse of the state ofMAV 40 just moment after the crash, as shown in FIG. 14.

Beside long-lasting batteries, drone 14 is also equipped with mini solarcell 42, power backup in the event more time is needed for the rescueteam to arrive, providing that sunlight is available as shown in FIG.15A. In the event when battery of drone 14 reaches its lowest presetlevel, it would automatically be switched to a backup solar power 42.The idea is to maintain sufficient power on board for communicationpurpose.

In the event when solar power 42 is unavailable, and the crash is onland, then onboard emergency parachute 110 of drone 14 wouldautomatically be deployed. Drone 14 will then be programmed to landitself away from the crash site, as shown in FIG. 18. However, if thecrash site is on water, built-in inflatable raft 100 of drone 14 wouldalso automatically be deployed, so drone 14 might float over the watersurface without the risk of being submerged, as illustrated in FIG. 16

Now since the crash site can be easily located, contrary to theconventional system, first response team can be at the scene quicker fora preliminary assessment, as shown in FIGS. 17 and 19. On the otherhand, the search and rescue team have a better chance in saving somelives by being on the crash site sooner, as depicted in FIG. 20.

With respect to the use of substantially any plural and/or singularterms herein, those having skill in the art can translate from theplural to the singular and/or from the singular to the plural as isappropriate to the context and/or application. The varioussingular/plural permutations may be expressly set forth herein for sakeof clarity.

The invention has been explained in relation to specific embodiment. Itis inferred that the foregoing description is only illustrative of thepresent invention and it is not intended that the invention be limitedor restrictive thereto. Many other specific embodiments of the presentinvention will be apparent to one skilled in the art from the foregoingdisclosure. All substitution, alterations and modification of thepresent invention which come within the scope of the following claimsare to which the present invention is readily susceptible withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention. The scope of the inventionshould therefore be determined not with reference to the abovedescription but should be determined with reference to appended claimsalong with full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.

1. An on-board emergency remote assistance and data retrievable systemfor a manned aerial vehicle (MAV), comprising: an unmanned aerialvehicle (UAV) having a physical connection and a wireless connectionwith the MAV, and also having a wireless communication connection to aremote command center, wherein the UAV is configured to download andretrieve the flight data of the MAV inside-out while the MAV is eitherin the air or crashed, and all other tasks usually assigned and/orprovided to or by a flight data recorder commonly known as black box, amanual and an automatic launch trigger connected to a plurality ofsensors enabled to detect an emergency situation in the MAV, whereinupon detection of the emergency situation by one of a plurality ofoccupants of the MAV, the manual launch trigger is configured to beinitiated manually by the occupant; and upon detection of the emergencysituation by at least one of the sensors, the automatic launch triggeris configured to be initiated automatically, characterized in that, a 3way communication initiates between the MAV, the UAV, and the remotecommand center once the UAV is launched, wherein the UAV communicatesthe downloaded and retrieved flight data with the remote command centeron the ground, and the remote command center sends respective command tothe UAV based on the situation.
 2. The on-board emergency remoteassistance and data retrievable system as claimed in claim 1, whereinthe flight data comprising a plurality of audios, videos, and images ofthe MAV inside-out.
 3. The on-board emergency remote assistance and dataretrievable system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flight datacomprising a cockpit voice recording transcript.
 4. The on-boardemergency remote assistance and data retrievable system as claimed inclaim 1, wherein the flight data comprising a mechanical and electricalflight performance.
 5. The on-board emergency remote assistance and dataretrievable system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the UAV isautomatically launched from the MAV if a weapon is fired on board theMAV.
 6. The on-board emergency remote assistance and data retrievablesystem as claimed in claim 1, wherein the UAV is automatically launchedfrom the MAV if a smoke is detected within or on the MAV.
 7. Theon-board emergency remote assistance and data retrievable system asclaimed in claim 1, wherein the UAV is automatically launched in theevent when the MAV becomes undetectable on a tracking or radar at an airtraffic control center during flight.
 8. The on-board emergency remoteassistance and data retrievable system as claimed in claim 1, whereinthe emergency situation is remotely diagnosed and fixed, when possible,by the remote command center via the UAV using artificial intelligenceand machine learning technology.
 9. The on-board emergency remoteassistance and data retrievable system as claimed in claim 1, whereinthe UAV is configured to reattach itself with the MAV if the emergencysituation is resolved.
 10. The on-board emergency remote assistance anddata retrievable system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the UAV isautomatically or manually ejected, then roved over the flying ordistressed MAV while providing its current location and at the same timepreserving the important flight data if a crash does occur.